New Caledonia: Sixth day of street fighting – Death toll rises – 2024-07-14 13:57:46

A sixth death has been reported from the unrest in New Caledonia, which has continued for a sixth day in the French archipelago in the South Pacific, while the mayor of Noumea spoke of “a city under siege”.

A Kaldos – as part of the local population of European origin is called – was killed at noon and two other men were wounded in Kaala-Gomen (north) in an exchange of fire at a roadblock set up by the protesters.

Uprising once morest the colonial government #France in Kanaki (New Caledonia, one of the territories occupied by French imperialism in the South Pacific); The French army killed 10 protesters, blocked TikTok and sent hundreds of troops to the island to suppress the uprising.#NewCaledonia#France

Since the uprising 3 days ago… pic.twitter.com/av8fDjQCsD

— Shahrivar’s voice (@SedayeShahrivar) May 18, 2024

It is the first death outside the urban complex of Noumea, the “capital” of Caledonia, where the mainly urban riots have been concentrated until now.

In addition to the six dead — two gendarmes and four civilians, three of whom are Kanak (indigenous Melanesian origin) and one Kaldo — hundreds are injured, according to the authorities.

The arrival of 1,000 additional reinforcements, on top of the 1,700 already deployed, showed the determination of the French authorities to regain control of the situation.

“The last two nights we can say they were quieter”, but the days are like a fire, the mayor of Noumea, Sonia Lagarde, of the “Renaissance” party of French President Emmanuel Macron, told the BFMTV network.

“At the moment I’m talking to you, there are roadblocks in eastern Noumea that the separatists have set up,” he continued, saying that the situation is not improving “on the contrary, despite calls for calm.”

“I see all these disasters, private or public property burning, it’s a disaster,” said Lagarde, who spoke of “endless sadness.”

“Can we say that we are in a city under siege? Yes, I think we can say that,” he added.

When asked regarding the amount of damages, she said that it is impossible to calculate them. “There are so many municipal structures that have burned, centers, schools.”

According to local estimates, the amount of damage amounted to 200 million euros on Thursday.

The daily life of the residents of New Caledonia is becoming more and more difficult. The damage complicates the supply of shops as well as the operation of public services, mainly in the health sector.

Tails

In the Mazeda district of Noumea, the street is full of rubble and charred cars that reflect the night riots, AFP reports today. A significant police force has been deployed there.

A pizzeria and a Japanese restaurant were reduced to ashes, but a supermarket right next door only reopened for a few hours, with hundreds of people queuing outside.

The government of New Caledonia appealed for the roadblocks to be removed. “Right now we’re killing each other and we can’t go on like this,” said Vaimu’a Muliava, a member of the government in charge of the public service. “People are already dying not because of armed conflict, but because they don’t have access to medical care, they don’t have access to food.”

French authorities hope the state of emergency declared on Thursday will help quell the violence that erupted on Monday following a demonstration once morest a controversial electoral reform by representatives of the indigenous Kanak people.

In response, the government sent in police reinforcements, banned Tik-Tok and deployed soldiers.

The representative of the French state in New Caledonia, Louis de Franc, admitted yesterday that three deprived districts of Noumea, inhabited mostly by Kanaks, remain in the hands of “unrest”.

“Airlift”

He promised to mobilize the state to “organize the shipment of essential supplies” as well as an “air bridge” between mainland France and its archipelago, more than 10,000 miles (16,000 km) away.

The violence has “destroyed” 80% to 90% of the city’s commercial distribution chain, according to the New Caledonia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and commercial flights remain suspended.

In Paris, the Ministry of Justice asked the prosecution for “greater severity for the perpetrators of violent acts.” Eric Dupont-Moretti added that it is planned to transfer to the metropolis the “criminals” who were arrested “in order not to contaminate (…) the most sensitive spirits”.

At the same time, the French judiciary launched an investigation into the instigators of the riots, mainly targeting the collective CCAT (Cellule de coordination des action de terrain), the most radical wing of those in favor of independence.

On Thursday, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called CCAT a “mafia” organization.

Yesterday CCAT called for a “calm time to prevent an escalation of violence”. One of its members, Roque Aokas, told French public radio RFI that his organization “has not called for violence”, attributing the riots to a “marginalized majority Kanak population”.

On the political front, following canceling a video conference with New Caledonia’s elected officials on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron started talks with some of them yesterday, but the press office of the French presidency declined to say more.

The constitutional reform introduced by his government aims to expand the electorate in regional elections, which are considered crucial in the archipelago. Those who are in favor of independence believe that this way they risk reducing their electoral weight.

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